"Zephyr, you're absolutely right—having brains is far more important."
Sengoku stepped forward and sat down beside Zephyr.
"Our Michael and Rosinante are both rare geniuses, after all!"
"...Is that why you made them part of the Secret Special Force, and even sent Rosinante on an undercover mission?"
"Now hold on, don't accuse me like that... The undercover mission was Michael's own choice—he picked Rosinante for it himself."
Thanks to Sengoku inserting himself into the conversation, the three future Admirals sitting across from them finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Sakazuki also finally stuffed the cigar into his mouth...
Except—he didn't light it.
Because right next to the couch, two little brats were staring at him with wide eyes.
"Sakazuki-san, what's that?"
"Kujaku, you dummy, that's the legendary thing called a 'cigarette'!"
"A cigarette? You mean that thing Grandma sometimes smokes when she's thinking?"
"Yeah, that's it! You light it, and it gives off smoke... But why do people like this stuff anyway? The smoke smells awful."
"Maybe... it's just something adults like?"
Kujaku nodded seriously at Ace, then blinked her big watery eyes and looked up at Sakazuki.
"Sakazuki-san, can Kujaku try it too? I'm really curious."
The moment she finished speaking, a cold sweat broke out on Sakazuki's forehead.
If he'd been acting all respectful earlier in front of Zephyr out of sincere reverence for his mentor...
Then now—it was pure fear.
He didn't even have to turn around to know that the Grand Strategist, second only to Sengoku in authority, was staring at him with icy eyes.
"Sakazuki, you're not seriously planning to smoke a cigar in front of two children... are you?"
Tsuru's voice was still gentle, but it carried a chill that couldn't be hidden.
"If you really can't hold back, then get your ass back to G-1 to smoke!"
"Tsuru-sama, I just wanted to sniff it a little, that's all."
Normally, even with Sengoku—his superior—Sakazuki wouldn't hesitate to throw a cold look or turn his back. But now, he actually forced out a friendly smile.
"Sakazuki, your smile looks worse than a crying face."
Michael curled his lip.
"Maybe don't smile at all—you're gonna scare the kids."
...
The meal turned out to be pleasant for everyone involved.
Naturally, the happiest of all was Garp—after all, he had a new grandson now.
As for the Navy top brass, their primary reason for coming wasn't the food, but to check out the latest descendant of the Navy Hero.
"Honestly, babies are way smaller than I imagined."
Borsalino held out his hand to compare.
"He's barely bigger than my palm."
"That's what you're focusing on?"
Kuzan sighed.
"Just thinking about how this little guy's gonna start Garp Vice Admiral's insane training in a few years... makes me wanna hold a moment of silence in advance."
"You two! Next time you're gonna talk behind my back, check if I'm around first, will ya?"
Garp snorted.
"And don't act like you know anything! My grandsons were born for the Navy! Special training is nothing for them!"
Kuzan rolled his eyes at Garp's smug laughter.
If he hadn't once been Garp's subordinate himself—if he hadn't endured that inhuman torment—he might've actually believed the man.
Even a Vice Admiral like him could never forget those hellish drills. And now they expected that of a toddler?
Garp, for real—use your damn head!
Everyone crowded around Luffy, looking at him like a newborn monkey in a zoo.
Only Sakazuki and Michael remained seated on the side, not joining in.
"You really don't want to take a look? That's the Navy Hero's grandson, you know."
"And also... the son of the Revolutionary Army's leader."
"Stop. Don't even go there."
Michael rolled his eyes.
"Don't tell me you've evolved to the point of targeting babies now."
"I didn't mean anything by it—just stating a fact."
Sakazuki shook his head.
"Right now, sure, he's just a child. But in the future—no matter what he becomes—the web of relationships tied to him will inevitably disrupt the existing balance."
Honestly, Sakazuki's thinking wasn't wrong.
A grandson of the Navy's greatest hero, and a son of one of its most wanted criminals.
That meant strong ties to both the light and dark sides of the world.
Even Michael's infamous network of connections might one day be overshadowed by Luffy.
"No matter how much chaos he causes, he's still just a kid."
Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Even if he pulls off some earth-shattering feat, that's at least ten years away."
"True."
Sakazuki actually agreed with him for once.
"By the way, Sakazuki—have you seen the new recruits from Amazon Lily?"
"Yeah, I made a special trip to the Sabaody Archipelago..."
Sakazuki nodded.
Michael had switched topics fast, but somehow, the two were in sync.
"Setting aside their past identities... they really are a bunch of excellent warriors."
Even though Sakazuki couldn't help but see them through the lens of "former pirates," he still had to admit—those warriors from the so-called "Land of Women" were far more elite than any regular Marines.
Strong, fast, fearless—and every one of them adept at using Armament Haki with great precision.
Give him an army like that, and his burden in the New World would be cut in half!
The only problem was...
They were a little too thirsty.
The male Marines stationed on Sabaody had already been relentlessly hit on by them.
Sakazuki was starting to understand why this nation, which for generations had produced pirates, so easily turned to the Navy under Michael's sponsorship.
Steady pay.
Assigned partners.
To them, the Navy was paradise.
Why bother being pirates, sailing across the seas to find strong men to reproduce with, when the Navy offered everything they needed?
As Sakazuki fell into a fantasy about endless strong recruits, Michael curled his lips, stood up, and walked off.
All you think about is strengthening the Navy... If you're not Fleet Admiral, who should be?
"Michael, what's up with Sakazuki?"
Borsalino came over, glancing at the zoned-out Sakazuki.
"Nothing. Just daydreaming."
With that, Michael flashed into the crowd and blocked the view of baby Luffy.
"Michael, you little brat! What the hell are you doing? Blocking my grandson?!"
"I know you're excited, but hold on. I've got something to tell you all—about myself."
The mood immediately shifted.
Even Garp quieted down.
The top brass of the Navy gathered around.
Even Sakazuki snapped out of his daydream and joined them.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"When Dragon announced he was leaving the Navy, he had the exact same look on his face."
"Damn it, no! I'm just here to confess something."
"My full name is Maria D. Michael."
Michael cleared his throat and, facing the crowd of stunned expressions, continued:
"Recently, I found my long-lost sister in the North Blue—who also happens to be the new Queen of the Germa Kingdom."
"In other words... I'm now a member of the Germa royal family."
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